Ladder-bracket.



D. R. LUCAS.

LADDER BRACKET.

1,1 APPLICATION FILED AUG. 27, I914; Patented June 13,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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LADDER BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 2], I914. Patented June 13,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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A TTUR/VEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID B. LUCAS, or KENTON, omo;

LADDER-BRACKET.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID R. LUCAS, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Kenton, in the county of Hardin and State of Ohio, havemade certain new and useful Improvements in Ladder-Brackets, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention is an improvement in ladder brackets, and has for itsobject to provide a bracket of the character specified, for use inconnection with an ordinary ladder, for rigidly supporting a scaffoldalongside a building, and wherein the arrangement is such that thescaffold may be connected with any part of the ladder, either the frontor the rear, and at any desired point in the length of the ladder.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a side view of the improvement in use, Fig.2 is a front view, Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a portion of thesame, Fig. 4 is a top plan view, Fig. 5 is a vertical section at rightangles to the plane of the ladder, Fig. 6 is a detail perspective viewof a portion of the bracket, Fig. 7 is a top plan view of a modifiedform of brace with parts in section, and Fig. 8 is a section on the line88 of Fig. 7 looking in the direction of the arrows adjacent to theline.

The present embodiment of the invention is shown in connection with aladder consisting of the usual stiles 1, connected at spaced intervalsby rungs 2. The ladder is shown adjacent to a fixed object 3, as forinstance a building, and the top of the ladder is spaced apart from thebuilding, by means of a yoke shaped bracket, consisting of a body 4 andarms 5 extending at approximately a right angle from the body. The arms5 of the bracket are pivoted to the upper ends of the stiles, asindicated at 6, and it will be noticedthat the yoke shaped bracket isprovided at the junction of each arm with the body with an extension 7.The outer end of each arm is curved outwardly just before it joins thebody, and the extensions 7 are extended beyond the junction of the armsand the body in the same are. Abrace 8 is pivoted to each arm, asindicated at 9, near the junction of the arm with the body, and eachbrace is provided at the end adjacent to the arm, with an outwardlyofiset portion 10, and the free end of the offset portion is pivoted tothe arm. At the opposite end each brace is Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented June 13, 1916.

1 provided with an angular portion 11, and

each of the angular portions is curved slightly longitudinally, asshown, and is 1011- gitudinally; slotted, as indicated at 12. Theseportions 11 lap upon theouter faces of the stiles, and a bolt 13 ispassed through an opening in each stile, and through the slot of theadjacent brace, and is engaged by a nut 14 outside of the stile. It willbe evldent that by loosening the nuts, the braces may be adjusted withrespect to the stiles, to raise or lower the yoke shaped bracket. Thelugs 7 of the bracket engage the face of the building 3, to support theupper end of the ladder out of contact with the building, and in spacedrelation.

A scafiold 15 may if desired be laid upon the yoke shaped bracket, theboard resting upon the arms and the body, as shown, and 1t will be notedthat the body is spaced apart from the building, so that the inner edgeof the innermost plank forming the scaffold rests upon the body. It willbe understood that as a rule in scaifolds two ladders are used, eachprovided with a yoke shaped bracket and the braces 8. The outwardoffsetting of the upper ends of the braces brings the upper ends of thebraces outside of the arms of the yoke shaped bracket, and since thebraces are outside of the stiles, the stiles do not interfere with themovement of the braces.

The bracket comprises a pair of bars 16 each of which is T-shaped incross section, comprising a body and a web extending longitudinally ofthe body at the center thereof, and perpendicular to the body. The webis provided at one end with a series of notches or recesses 17, arrangedin spaced relation, and a latch bar 18 is pivoted to the web, at theinner end of the series of notches, by means of a bolt or rivet 19. Theupper face of the latch bar is notched, as indicated at 20, tocorrespond with the notch of the web of the bar, and a clip 21 isprovided for holding the free end of the bar from downward movement. Thebars 16 are adapted to engage a rung of the ladder, the rung beingreceived in the recesses 17, and the bar 18 is swung up on the underside of the rung, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 5, to preventdisengagement of the bars 16 from the rung. lVhen the latch bar has beenswung up, as indicated, the clip 21 is swung over the free end of thebar, to hold it in place. The arrangement of the notches 20 of the latchbar is such that when the latch bar is in place and locked, a circularopening appears at each of the recesses. That is the notches in thelatch bar are com lementary to those portions. of the note ms 17 whichare not covered by the latch bar.

A sectional brace is provided for supporting the outer end of the bars16, the brace consisting of telescoping sections. The outer section 22of the said brace is tubular, and one end is closed and extendedradially to form a head 23. The'inner section 24 is cylindrical and maybe tubular if desired, and the said section. fits within the outersection. The section 24 is provided with a longitudinal series of spaceddiametrical openings 25, which are adapted to register with a singlediametrical opening in the outer section, for receiving a cross bolt 26to hold the sections in adjusted position. The outer section of thebrace is pivoted to the bars 16 in a manner to be described by means ofa cross bolt 27 A cross head is connected to the outer end of the innersection, the said cross head comprising a plate curved transversely in areverse or line-of-beauty curve. The plate has an internally threadedsocket 28, and substantially triangular extension braces'29 are arrangedbetween the socket and the body ofthe plate. It will be noticed that theplate consists of portions 30 and 30 oppositely curved, and the saidportions are adapted to engage a rung, as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 5,to support the bars 16 in horizontal position. The inner section 24 hasa threaded stem 31 for engaging the socket 28 of the cross head, and hasalso an annular radial rib 32 at the inner end of the threaded portionfor engaging the end of the socket 28 to limit the inward movement ofthe stem with respect to the socket. The belt 27 before mentioned passesthrough openings in the ribs of the bars 16,

braces 33.

and through a diametrical opening in the outer section 22 of the brace.

Inclined braces 33 are arranged between the bolt 27 and the bolt 26.Each of the saidbraces has its ends bent angularly, as shown moreparticularly in Fig. 2, the portions at one end having openings forreceiving the bolt 26. This bolt is passed through the said ends andthrough the sections 22 and 24 and is'en'gaged by a nut 34 forconnecting the inclined braces to the sectional brace and for holdingthe sections of the brace in adjusted position. The opposite ends of thebraces 33 have openings for receiving the bolt 27, and sleeves 35 arearranged on the bolt between the outer section 22 of the brace and theends of the Nuts 36 are arranged on the cross bolt between the inclinedbraces 33 and the ribs of the bars 16, and other nuts 37 are arrangedwith the outer ends of the cross bolt, for holding the parts in adjustedposition, and it will be evident that the in clined braces 33 preventangular movement of the cross'bolt 27 with respect to the sectionalbrace.

. In use, the improved bracket may be arranged as shown in Figs. 1 and2, or as shown in Fig. 5. That is the brace may be arranged on the outerside or front of the ladder, or on the inner side or in rear of theladder. Both bars 16 are engaged with one rung of the ladder, by seatingthe rung in registering recesses 17 of the bars. The

latch bars 18 are then swung up beneath the rung and are held in thisposition by the clips 21, thus clamping the bars to the rung. Thesectional brace may be arranged above or below the bars 16. When thebrace is arranged below the'bars the curved portion 30 of the cross headis engaged with the rung, while when the brace is arranged above thebars 16 the portion 30 of the cross head is engaged with the rung. Inone case the sectional brace suspends the bars 16, while in the othercase the brace acts as a strut.

The scaflold indicated at 38 is arranged on the upper faces of the bars16, that is the scafi'old rests upon the bodies of the bars. Thearrangement of the cross heads provides for its engagement withpractically the entire length of the rung. This arrangement inconnection with the brace 33 absolutely prevents any lateral wabbling ofthe sectional brace.

It will be evident from the description that the improved bracket iseasily connected to a ladder or detached therefrom, and that the mannerof connecting the bars 16 with the ladder absolutely preventsdisengagement of the said bars from the ladder.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 7 and 8, the sectionalbrace is composed of inner and outer sections 39 and 40. The outer endof the inner section 39 is engaged within the socket 42 of the crosshead 43, while the outer section has the head 41 at the end remote fromthe inner section. The cross bolt 44 is arranged transversely of theouter section adjacent to the head, and the inclined braces 45 arearranged between the ends of the cross bolt and the outersection. Eachof the said braces has one end provided with an opening for receivingthe cross bolt, and the other end is provided with an opening forreceiving the bolt 46 which holds the sections in adjusted position. Thecross bolt is connected to the bars 16 in the same manner as describedfor the bolt 27. In the construction of brace shown in Fig. 5 it isnecessary to remove the bolt 26 in order to adjust the section. In theconstruction shown in Figs. 7 and 8 this operation is not necessary. Thesections may be moved angularly with respect to each other to engage andrelease the holding means for the section. The said means is the bolt 46which is passed through registering openings in the outer section 40 andthrough registering slots 49 in the inner section, the said slotsextending longitudinally of the inner section. One wall of each slot 49is provided with notches 50, the said notches being designed forengagement by the bolt 46. When the bolt 46 is turned to register withthe slots 49 it may be moved longitudinally of the inner section of theslots. If, however, the bolt is turned angularly to engage one of thenotches 50 of each series, it is evident that the sections will belocked from movement with respect to each other. The bolt 46 is engagedby a nut 47, and a cotter pin 48 is passed one end with the adjustingbolt and at the other end With the supporting bolt.

DAVID R. LUCAS. Witnesses:

O. P. BLUE, 0- A. BLUE.

